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Wednesday October 16, 2013Understanding Protections Part of Learning Curve for Young Running Backs

GAINESVILLE,
Fla. --
Kelvin Taylor rushed for 2,423 yards and 41 touchdowns as a senior in high
school. During his record-shattering prep career at Belle Glade (Fla.) Glades
Day, he totaled more than 12,000 yards and 141 touchdowns in shattering the
state’s career rushing record formerly held by some guy named Emmitt
Smith.

Question:
How often do you think Taylor had to pass block?

Asked.
Answered.

“The
hardest phase for young backs trying to integrate into the rotation is
understanding how important protections are,” Florida running backs coach Brian
White said. “One missed assignment, the quarterback is hit, the ball is turned
over, the game is changed.”

For
the fan on the couch, pass protection is probably one of the least understood
nuances of football. When a quarterback is sacked, the first assumption is
someone on the offensive line was at fault. And maybe they were.

But
maybe the quarterback held the ball too long. Maybe the tight end missed his
chip. Maybe a wide receiver didn’t read the defense and break off his
route.

Or
maybe the running back didn’t see the linebacker coming.

“You
run the ball, that’s one thing,” UF coach Will Muschamp said after Saturday’s
17-6 loss at LSU. “You also have to block and block the right guy.”

The
Gators, running backs included, missed some guys against the Tigers and this
week went to work on correcting those breakdowns, as No. 22 Florida (4-2, 3-1)
heads to unbeaten and 14th-ranked Missouri (6-0, 2-0) for a key Southeastern
Conference East Division matchup Saturday at Memorial Stadium.

With
starting tailback Matt Jones out for the season with a knee injury, UF now must
lean on junior Mack Brown and Taylor, the true freshman, to pick up the rushing
game load, but also count on them to take care of their responsibilities in
pass protection.

“You
have to trust your eyes, watch film and know the game plan,” Brown said.

Brown
has an obvious edge over Taylor in experience, and actually blocked pretty well
against the Tigers. The Missouri game will be the 47th of his career --
compared to just the fifth for Taylor -- so there’s not a lot of things that
are going to surprise him anymore. He went through that phase a few years
ago.

Like
the first time he saw a defensive tackle standing up on the line of
scrimmage.

“That
was crazy,” said Brown, who now feels more comfortable with his pass-blocking,
but is always looking to improve. “You have to look where the safety is
rotating; if he’s dropping down. If he’s going to the strong side, they’re
probably blitzing from that side. You have to scan the defense as soon the
huddle breaks and figure out what's going on.”

This
is the transition -- more like baptism by fire -- that Taylor is undergoing.
The true freshman tailback got his first real SEC action at Baton Rouge,
rushing 10 times for 52 yards and showing a change-of-pace burst that figures
to suit the Florida offense well.

The
Gators, though, can't subject quarterback Tyler Murphy to the kinds of
jailbreak rushes the likes of which he saw against LSU. Taylor’s crash course
in the blocking phase of the game intensified in earnest Monday, both on the
field and in the meeting room.

“You
have to understand fronts and coverages. You have to know what your
responsibilities are, whether it’s a five-man protection, six-man protection,
or seven- or eight,” White said. “There’s a lot of adjustments that have to
happen and it has to be done fast.”

The
combination of familiarity with the system and good technique makes for a good
base. But there’s another absolutely essential element to be a successful
pass-blocker.

“Vision,”
White said.

A
running back must identify, decode and anticipate where blitzes are coming from. Quickly.

And,
again, how often did Taylor do that back in Belle Glade?

“It’s
a whole new world,” Terry Jackson said.

Jackson
is UF’s director of player development and community relations, but most Gators
remember when he was part of the Steve Spurrier’s stable of backs during the
offensive glory days of 1990s. Six times Jackson gained 100 yards in a game,
including 118 on 12 carries in the Sugar Bowl blowout of Florida State to
capture the program’s first national championship.

A
two-way standout at Gainesville P.K. Yonge, Jackson came to Florida as a
linebacker, then moved to running back his 1995 redshirt freshman year.

It
was time to block.

“A
lot of times, it was more like trying just to get in a guy’s way,” Jackson
said. “All I wanted to do was give the quarterback enough time to get rid of
the ball.”

That’s
the idea, but a lot more goes into it. Offenses and defenses have become so
sophisticated in their schemes that from the moment the quarterback sets the
field -- protections, routes, everything are determined once the QB identifies
the “Mike” linebacker at the line -- the back needs to be looking for
linebackers in overloads, safeties dropping, and cheating cornerbacks looking
to dash the edge.

Sometimes,
Jackson said, a defender will disappear from the back’s field of vision.

That’s
a key to be ready.

“You
have to scan everything,” Jackson said. “It could be one guy. Could be any of
three guys. Could be all three coming. Whoever it is, you better be in body
position and ready to use the proper technique. That comes with experience.”

Brown
has the experience.

He’s
seen defenders disappear.

“When
that happens, something else is about to happen,” Brown nodded. “Trouble's
coming.”

Knowing
the first sign of "trouble" is the best way to avert disaster.

Jackson
was an NFL rookie with the San Francisco 49ers when Arizona Cardinals
eight-time Pro Bowl safety Aeneas Williams came on a blitz and blind-sided
quarterback Steve Young. Young suffered a concussion on the play, the seventh
of his career. He never played again.

A
running back missed his assignment. Jackson would not say who.

“Steve
Young's career ended ‘cause a guy stepped the wrong way,” Jackson said. “It’s a
coordinated effort. Everybody has to be in tune. Everybody has to know what
they’re doing.”